I am assuming many of us want this year to disappear, and oh has it been an interesting and terrible challenging year. I think a lot of people had high hopes for 2020, but we are probably all in agreement that this year has been terrible in one way or another, although people have come together for a sake of community, which is one good quality to take from it. There is much uncertainty and a lack of stability around the world at the moment. Some people have gone through much worse this year, so do not take my words the wrong way; I won't reveal it all, but it has not been a very kind year for me/my family. Of course, it could always be worse, but it's been rough and challenging. I'm still alive. I have a job. I am grateful for what I do have but regretful of various things that have been out of my control.
Personally, I entered 2020 on a high; it was going to be "my year" because the past several have not been kind. January marked seven years of freelancing, and despite the first contract (which ended up lasting two years), I have endured a few long-term rolling monthly contracts and full-on 24/7 contracts that contributed to a lack of stability. In that time, I was told to cancel holiday plans, including milestone birthday plans. I was messed about with contract cuts due to outsourcing and budgets. I had to take on more workload because the company required more work and/or did not have others with the required skills. I did spend some of those holidays working too. Being in this lifestyle prompted me to work extra days and avoid any long-term planning. It simply was not possible to make any plans. On the occassion where I did have a longer-term contract, I was messed about with cuts at the last moment and then had a booked holiday that affected being able to start another new project. It was the first holiday I'd booked after two years, and it screwed up my chances of securing a new project. (I could not cancel that holiday as it involved other people from overseas.)
After such a challenging time, my goal was to rectify the past few years where I had been longing for stability and wishing to focus on my well-being. This has been a goal that had been carried over the past few years, and frankly, I failed for a few years in my promises to myself in my 'New Year Resolutions'. Now, part of that was just being unlucky with the contracts secured and poor timing. Sadly, due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of my hopes remain unfulfilled. This year leaves me feeling incomplete....so many words, but 'incomplete' is probably the best to encapsulate all of the feelings.
This wave somehow sums up my feelings of 2020...
This prolonged lack of stability and inability to take time off to travel (something I enjoy immensely) is why I made the decision to accept a permanent job toward the end of last year. I started the new job before the mid-March lockdown. This was the first step in solving my problems. Like everyone else, I had plans. (Obviously, some people went through a lot worse than I have, and I am blessed in a lot of areas so far and despite the before-mentioned challenges, I do not want to jinx anything.) I'm just continuing/trying to be patient and optimistic, but it can be very difficult to do so at times. It has just been a very difficult and disturbing year.
Like many, I have felt largely in limbo, and I've felt so many other feelings. I, like others, have suffered in my lack of enjoyment of life and of not being able to do the little things that I enjoy from life. I think most have felt the same, and yes, it could be worse if measuring it against others who have not been as lucky. Despite all that, it has been challenging personally for me, and I think we should be allowed to admit and say that, despite whether or not we have lost someone and not been there to say 'goodbye' or lost our incomes. This will echo most people's feelings perhaps. We are all traveling our own paths, and it's not possible to measure what others are going through nor fair to compare to what others are going through.
'Social distancing' was a term coined for this pandemic
For me, part of this situation that I find myself in this year largely seems like a continuation of the past few years for me, although only on a personal scale. Like I mentioned earlier, I had to cancel my plans (milestone birthday, birthdays, visits to see family) or postpone them. I expected to "work hard, play hard later". Though, the "play hard" has not yet come, and the last time that I really felt really content was in 2013. When I think about it, I really could not have done anything differently, though. I was messed around, and that had consequences. Then, the right permanent job came along at the right time. Unfortunately, this "right time" was the time when "something" happened in China in 2019 to cause a global-scale pandemic.
We celebrated hope with rainbows...but it also is Pride
In keeping in line with the previous years, I thought that I would take a look back at this year 2020, although writing this has been far less than enjoyable than in previous years. This is certainly one year that I am glad to see the back of, and I just hope that 2021 is a much better year overall, although unfortunately I do not see any positive changes for several months. I am hoping for things to feel a little safer and "better" by the end of summer, 2021. If it happens sooner, then even better. I guess we just have to be patient a little while longer. It's not even the end of 2020 yet, and I am so frustrated about it.
January: The year started with my final month of contracting, which included finishing up and handing over my busy workload. During the cold January, I found myself at South Bank on my final busy day, walking around in the cold and gloomy weather in my least favourite month. I got to explore this area a little more during the past few months, but I was not based at South Bank that often as I was working on site at Sunbury-on-Thames or from home. The first time that I got out this year (in mid-January) was to enjoy afternoon tea with my friends at Rhinefield House in the New Forest, although I had to drive myself and my back was in terrible pain because I slept twisted. It took a couple of days for my back to recover, so I struggled through and left early.
Scones at Rhinefield House
Once again, Canary Wharf's Winter Lights appeared for 2020, filling the gloomy January days with some bright lights. It was bigger and better this year with a lot of larger, interactive artworks. The crowds were also out in full numbers this time, and it gets larger every year. The event has become a popular one now due to the interactive nature of the artworks and social media. There were even more street food options on the route as well. Unfortunately, the one or two-week event will not run in 2021 for the obvious reasons, but there will be artworks on display over a couple of months that will also enable visitors to come and view the objects from a distance and to avoid crowding. It won't be the same, but it is something I am really looking forward to next month.
Canary Wharf Winter Lights 2020
The end of the month brought a wonderful orange sky on my visit to Bournemouth (Lunch at Bournemouth's Urban Garden) to see family. We enjoyed a lovely meal out at Urban Gardens restaurant near the Lower Gardens in the centre of Bournemouth, and the food was amazing. After eating, we had a walk with my two-year-old nephew around the beach, and a beautiful sunset filled the sky.
Bournemouth January sunset
The 31st was a Friday this year; it was my last day contracting, and it was also the day that we found out that Brexit was going ahead and when it would happen. I began mentally planning the places that I was going to visit in Europe before the end of the year and after I passed my new job three-month probation, so I was expecting a holiday in the middle of May, and Berlin was my first choice destination. I couldn't afford to book before-hand because of the costly home renovations. (At the time of publishing this post, the majority of the work has just recently been completed.)
London is Open tube sign
February: The first day of my new job was on the 3rd of the month since the 1st fell on a Saturday. I spent this month settling into my new job. I was enjoying the walking in my morning commute from Holborn through Covent Garden to the Strand. I love this part of London, and I had the chance to explore it a little more and enjoy my lunch walks and trying new places. One of the lunch highlights was the cheesey pizza from Pizza Pilgrim's and The Cheese Bar. I was really looking forward to enjoying this area in the different seasons, especially at Christmas. I have fond memories of my little morning treks to the office.
Pizza Pilgrims and The Cheese Bar extra-cheesey pizza
Near the beginning of the month, I visited my friends at Kingston Lacey for a snowdrops walk. The snowdrops here are beautiful with so many different varieties, and I did not realise there are so many different varieties of snowdrop. We got lucky with the weather as our planned visit coincided with sunny weather. We enjoyed a pub lunch before our snowdrops walk. I had a great time and took so many photographs, and I thought that some of the photographs I took turned out really good. I hope I didn't drive my friends crazy by taking so many photographs.
Snowdrops at Kingston Lacey
Valentine's Day was a low-key event this year. I actually did not see it advertised a lot, and companies seemed to be late to market it for some reason. Anyway, I enjoyed the giant cookie cake from Blondies Kitchen, and you can see more decorations in London here: Valentine's Day 2020 in London.
Blondies cookie cake, based in Selfridges
The end of February brought Pancake Day, and I was happy to find that there are a few pancake lunch options at Covent Garden. Since I was working this year, I did not attend a Pancake Day Race like I have done in previous years, although the best Pancake Race, located off Brick Lane, does not seem to happen anymore. Instead, I got to induldge on pancakes. This time, I opted for Pancs in Covent Garden, and I tried their special Oreo pancake. It was very filling and sweet. I sat outside on the table in the courtyard of the market and listened to the singers and bands that perform daily here. It's always a great atmosphere here.
Pancake Day at Pancs
My pancake visit was also the first time that the coronavirus was being mentioned a lot in the news, so I remember being extra careful to sanitise my hands and not touch my face. I always carry hand sanitizer with me and use it before I eat if I am unable to wash my hands, but I was extra cautious at around this time. Of course, there were not any restrictions yet, so everyone was just living their lives normally besides the extra caution. I don't think anyone would believe how quickly things would change.
March: March was the month that life completely changed. Before the change, however, I spent the first day of the month at the Desire Jewellery & Silversmithing Fair in Chelsea Hall, and I loved looking at the beautiful creations and colourful gemstones. The coronavirus was still in my mind, and everyone was being careful, but we were not frightened. We just went about our lives.
Desire Silversmithing in Chelsea
One exhibition that I had been wanting to visit for a few months was Troy: Myth and Reality at the British Museum. I enjoy this period of history and the story (although it is fiction, there are some elements of fact to the story as well), but I did not book the exhibit right away. The weekend dates kept selling out almost a month in advance, so visiting on a whim was not an option. As the exhibition was so popular, booking three or four weeks in advance still meant that the weekend dates had sold out, so the only time for me to visit was on its last day. The museum was popular that day, and the exhibiton was over-crowded. Coronavirus was in my mind with the large crowd and people coughing around me. The exhibition was interesting with information about the story and its influences in art and media from the past to the present day.
Frieze of the Trojan horse from the exhibition in the British Museum
In early March, I continued to enjoy my lunches and exploration of Covent Garden and Soho. I was excited to explore more and excited for the spring and summer to arrive when London comes alive. We'd had a particularly wet time throughout February and March, so I was looking forward to better weather. Two of my lunch highlights were Lunch at Curry House CoCo Ichibanya (Leicester Square, London) and Lunch at Shake Shack, Covent Garden. At the end of February, Leicester Square launched a sculpture trail with iconic film characters (Leicester Square's Iconic Film Characters Sculpture Trail: "Scenes in the Square"), so I spent one lunch looking for them in early March.
A delicious Coco Ichibanya chicken katsu
On the 16th of March, everything changed for me. On the end of that day, we were told to work from home due to the coronavirus. This led to the start of my 100-day confinement and the change to the world as we all know it. The official lockdown did not happen for about a week later, but I was already well into lockdown before it was then enforced. All plans for the year were then cancelled (or postponed and cancelled later) from here on out, although at the time, no one really knew how long things would take or that we would be continuing to deal with them today.
A rainbow during lockdown
April: The next three months (spring) really is going to be boring to read. I continued working from home, which was basically a continuation of my life from the past few years. Easter came and went without any interaction nor celebration. April had a pink super moon. People on my street stood outside to clap for the nurses, doctors and other staff that make up the NHS and key workers. Rainbows were used as a symbol for hope and for the NHS with banners and drawings hung in house windows. City centres and roads were empty. Shops, pubs, and restaurants closed. Even McDonalds closed for a few months. The weather was wet for the start of lockdown, but we also had some very nice sunny days. I saw beautiful rainbows. The whole world seemed to look to the skies and also to nature with the lack of pollution and road traffic. There was an anxious and eerie feeling. I continued to work through it. Many could not work and were either furloughed or became unemployed.
April's Pink Moon
We were blessed with some amazing weather, and I had afternoon tea delivered to me on one of these hot spring weekends. The afternoon tea was from a local Ruislip company called Honey Bee Cakes, which delivered through one of the delivery companies. I spent a lot of time in the warm sun in the garden listening to jazz or swing music, sipping drinks, and reading magazines. I spent hours talking to friends and family on the phone. I spent some time trying to get the house and garden in order, although the builders did not finish everything, so it was tricky. I was able to read my backlog of magazines, though.
Afternoon tea in my garden
May: In early May, we had a long Bank Holiday weekend for the 75th anniversary of VE Day, and many events were due to take place. Due to coronavirus, these were all cancelled. Instead, some streets had street parties, including my street. The road that I live on also hosted a party on VE Day seventy-five years ago, and one neighbour printed photographs and made a banner about it. I sat outside in my front garden, listened to the VE Day special, and had afternoon tea. After the tea, I had socially-distanced discussions with neighbours on my street. We had a sense of community. It isn't the weekend any of us had planned, but we still celebrated safely.
VE Day street party, socially-distanced of course
Over the course of the lockdown, I ordered some home-delivery treats to keep me going and to obtain some sanity. I'll note a few of my favourite ones: Popadoodledoo, Dollies Cookies, The Botanical Baker, Me You Meringue, The Cookie Mail, and Jo's Cake Co. Anyone who knows me knows that I have always had a real weakness for cookies, and cookies seems to be a popular lockdown treat.
Popadoodledoo skeep cake pops
In late May, protests also started to happen for Black Lives Matter, and this became a hot topic across the globe, especially for the next few weeks. This led the way to many discussions and changes.
'Racism is a Virus' mural by Zabou, photographed during the summer after the lockdown
June: June is my birthday month, but we were still in full lockdown then. I had a lockdown birthday and ordered the smallest cake I could order from a local baker. Due to my lockdown birthday, I have postponed birthday plans for a proper celebration once it is safe to do so. I shall be deferring this year's birthday to another day next year (hopefully, although I will probably have to defer next year's too). The queen does it. She has two birthdays a year. I shall be doing the same to make up for birthdays I could not celebrate! It is only fair.
Lockdown birthday cake
In late June, I also celebrated one hundred days of lockdown during which I did not leave the home (or block as I did technically leave once on VE Day for a walk around the block). On the 100th day, the weather was gorgeous, so visited Whipsnade Tree Cathedral, and it felt very strange to see the world outside of my home again. It was also a frightening experience to be outdoors again and to see other people. I am sure that many other people are struggling with coping too. The day after also a lovely day, so I went to Coombe Hill in the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire after work for a walk and some much-needed exercise.
Coombe Hill in Buckinghamshire
Also at the end of the month, Merlin the cat decided to eat part of a dried lily. The lily came in a birthday flower bouquet. Merlin had to stay overnight at the vet's, and he cost me a lot of money. Merlin costs a lot of money by getting into things that my other cat (Lancelot) does not. Merlin needs to be pet-shamed.
July: By the middle of the month of July, some places were gradually reopening across the country. I took the advantage to book a long weekend away in Northumberland in the middle of the month and another long weekend away to Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire at the end of the month. I also spent a lot of time out on walks, making up for the lost time spent stuck at home and indoors for nearly four months. When I was not working, I spent the month "making up for lost time".
Claremont Landscape Gardens
I am a member of the National Trust, so I started to explore National Trust properties again, such as Claremont Landscape Gardens. I am disappointed that the houses have been shut since the middle of March. A few buildings and houses did partially reopen at the end of summer for a month or two, but none of them were fully open, and most of the National Trust buildings remain closed during the autumn and winter months anyway. The gardens and parks on some of the properties were open so that people could get out. I personally enjoy the houses and buildings more, but I made the most of my membership. One of the highlights for me was my visit to Sheffield Park & Garden. It was one of the first properties that I visited after the lockdown, and it offers beautiful walks around ponds. The ducks enjoyed my company as well, and there were many ducklings and ducks looking to be fed. I ate a scone at one of the benches on the side of a pond, and they came up to me to beg for crumbs.
Sheffield Park Gardens
Another highlight was Nymans Gardens, although I did not stay long because it was an afternoon visit, and it was just a little bit too busy for me to feel comfortable around people. The house was closed, but the gardens and park could explored. The gardens here are beautiful, so I am looking forward to visiting it another year when it is kept up to its best. Many of the gardens were shut down and neglected during the lockdown, so they are not at their best this year. Also, I missed all of the spring colour this year due to the properties being closed all spring.
Nymans Gardens
In the middle of the month, I visited Northumberland for a long weekend. Hadrian's Wall has been on my list of places to visit in England, and I felt that it was a safe visit since the ruins can be enjoyed outdoors. Most museums, historical sites, and castles had not yet re-opened from the lockdown, so this was a tour to see as much of the wall as I could while getting some exercise and trying to increase my fitness levels from the 3.5 months where I did not leave home. It was hard work in places. I did see some amazing and beautiful places and learned a lot about Roman history in Britain. I visited so many great places (read about them here: Hadrian's Wall), and I also walked a couple of small sections of the wall. Milecastle 39 to Sycamore Gap is an amazing walk, and Walltown Crags also offers some expansive views of the wall.
Walltown Crags views of Hadrian's Wall
Another breath-taking place that I visited in Northumberland was National Trust's Wallington Gardens. Like all of the other National Trust properties, the house and buildings were closed, but we could walk around the grounds and walled garden. The walled garden is a must-see, and it's a huge place to explore. Even though the staff were not gardening and maintaining to the full levels over the lockdown, I could see that this is a beautiful garden, and do hope to return some day.
Wallington
At the end of July, I visited the Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire area. By then, even more attrractions were open. I primarily visited this area because it is an area that is not too touristy and not full of people who may be passing viruses around. I was able to visit a couple of National Trust properties, such as Kedleston Hall and Gunby Estate, to have a walk around the park and gardens. Kedleston Hall has expansive park land with wildflower meadows, and Gunby Estate has beautiful gardens filled with butterflies. I would love to visit the houses in both properties, but I have to wait for that.
Kedleston wildflowers
The weather during this final week in July was hot and sunny, and one highlight for me was a fleeting visit to Skegness to see the beach. I enjoyed an ice-cold slushie on the beach and visited Skegness Model Village. I did not stay for long as there were small groups of people in some areas, and I did not want the risk. I would love to return to this area again once it is safe to do so.
Skegness Model Village
Other highlights on this visit included the ruins of two monastaries: Roche Abbey and Monk Bretton Priory. Roche Abbey was located down a long cobbled road that winded down into a valley, and Monk Bretton was located inside the subburbs of the city of Barnsley. Both set of ruins were interesting to walk around, even in the scorching weather. I had Monk Bretton to myself; it is free to visit but both are maintained by English Heritage.
Monk Bretton Priory
August: After an eventful July, August became just as eventful. For the first time since mid-March, I ventured back into London at the beginning of the month. The streets were quiet, but the nice weather had brought some people out. Going into London the first time on the tube was daunting, and subsequent visits have been equally daunting. My first visit was to Covent Garden, which I felt may be quieter and a good re-introduction to London. I did not have any problems on this visit. Covent Garden had some artwork, including a rainbow and a large-scale print "Love, Hope, Joy" by Anthony Burrill.
Love, Hope & Joy in Covent Garden
I also visited London in the middle of the month to see street art in Camden and then to visit Mercato Mayfair for lunch. Mercato Mayfair was on my list of places that I planned to visit in March, but I did not get to visit due to the lockdown. This beautiful church between Marble Arch and Bond Street contains a variety of street food sellers, and visitors can enjoy their food inside the church or on the rooftop terrace. I was able to enjoy lunch here on a Friday, and I virtually had the place to myself. I will return to try additional street food, but the pizza hit the spot on the day that I visited. (When doesn't pizza hit the spot?!)
Pizza love at Mercato Mayfair
At the end of the month, re-visited Northumberland, but the purpose of my trip this time was primarily to see the castles and ruins that were not open during my mid-July visit but that had since re-opened. I saw so many amazing castles and ruins, and two of my highlights included the large Warkworth Castle, which has tunnels and a large keep to explore, and the fortified English-Scottish border house of Aydon Castle. Both are very different examples of castle in Northumberland.
Warkworth Castle
On one particularly windy day, I spent part of the morning exploring Tynemouth Castle and Priory. The views were amazing, but it was so windy that the visibility was not great. Not all of the buildings were open, but there is a mixture of an old monastary ruins and a battery from the second World War. Although I did not explore it this time, the village of Tynemouth looks lovely too with a street of independent shops and pubs that lead up to the castle, and I do hope to return once it is safe to do so. Hopefully, the weather will be nicer when I do return.
Tynemouth Castle & Priory
The highlight of the August Northumberland visit for me was Dunstanburgh Castle. This is an amazing castle, which is really just a long wall with a keep and impressive views. There is a walk to the castle from the nearest village, and the walk is along the coast with views over the sea and of the castle. The weather that day was perfect for it as well; it was not too hot and not too cold, and the sun was bright.
Dunstanburgh Castle
Another English-Scottish border castle visited on this trip was Norham Castle, which is considered to be one of the original Victorian "romantic ruins", which were fashionable ruins to visit in Victorian times. This castle inspired many paintings and poems as a result of its status in those times. The castle did have a fair number of visitors when I visited it toward the end of the afternoon. The weather was perfect during the visit.
Norham Castle
September: September was another busy month of making up for lost time, and the middle of the month was the highlight for me because I had a long weekend in Exmoor. I have never been to Exmoor before, so this was a "taster" trip to explore the area. It is an area that I certainly will be returning to. Although the trip was for a long weekend only, I was able to enjoy an evening wander around Ilfracombe after eating fish and chips. I do wish to return for boat rides and other attractions that are currently shut due to coronavirus.
Ilfracombe harbour
During my visit to the area, I revisited Tintagel Castle for the first time after my very first visit fifteen years ago. The castle is now more accessible with a bridge so that visitors do not have to walk up the steep steps to visit. The views are impressive, and this castle has always been one of the best castles to explore in England. After Tintagel Castle, I visited Boscastle in Cornwall. Many of the attractions were shut here, so I do hope to return to Boscastle. I did climb the hill for amazing views, and I'd love to walk to the waterfall at some point. I had amazing weather for it; it was sunny and not too warm.
Tintagel Castle
One of the highlights for me was a quick walk in the Valley of Rocks in Exmoor. This coastal path has amazing views and a tearoom a short walk away. I plan to return here one day and walk to the village to visit the attractions there. Many attractions continued to be shut during my visit, and I would not have had enough time for them on this visit anyway.
Valley of Rocks in Exmoor
Additionally, Dunster Castle and the iconic and infamous Tarr Steps were also nice places that I visited in Exmoor. Dunster Castle was partially open for visits, and it is a fascinating place that I hope to return to when it is safe to do so; it also has a lovely village and mill. Tarr Steps is an ancient stone bridge that visitors can walk across, and I ended up on a long woodland riverside walk here as there was a one-way system in place due to the pandemic.
Tarr Steps in Exmoor
Another highlight of September was a visit into London to enjoy afternoon tea at Fait Maison. This was my farewell to summer. I love the beautiful decor at Fait Maison, and the bright and sunny day made my visit even more special. I find that September's weather is often nicer than August's, so sitting outside was not a problem.
Fait Maison afternoon tea
I did also enjoy a couple of National Trust properties in September, and Standen House was the most memorable; I visited at the end of September as the leaves were starting to transform for autumn. Standen House was one of the first National Trust buildings to partially-reopen as they started to slowly reopen some from mid-August. The whole house was not open, but visitors could explore a few of the rooms. The Arts & Crafts house is worth a visit in the future, once it is fully open of course.
Standen House
October: At the beginning of October, I visited Chiltern Valley Winery for a wine, beer, and liquor tasting and tour. I took half the day off work and went to Basildon Park earlier in the day to enjoy a visit to the part of the house that was open and to walk around the grounds. After Basildon Park, I had a meal at Henley-on-Thames before the winery tour. We learned about Chiltern Valley Winery's history before walking into the vineyard where the grapes had been harvested that morning. We saw the bottling process and the beer-making process. It was an enjoyable day out.
Wine tasing and tour at Chiltern Valley Winery
London hosted two sculpture trails in October: Frieze Sculpture in Regent's Park and Mayfair Sculpture Trail. I visited both of them at the beginning of the month. Frieze Sculpture in Regent's Park normally takes place between July and October, but I am happy to announce that they still managed to host it for a couple of weeks in October. I saw a few people visiting the sculptures. The Mayfair Sculpture Trail is new for this year and was hosted with a special gallery weekend as well as a month-long sculpture trail that visitors could navigate. Some of the sculptures were placed for the trail, but others are permanent. The creative fields are suffering at the moment, so I am glad that both events went ahead as we all need the arts.
Frieze Sculpture Trail
For the first time since early February, I caught up with friends for a meal and had a walk around Mottisfont Abbey. This was the first time that I've had any face-to-face human contact with anyone I know outside the house (excluding neighbours). This was my first walk around the estate and grounds at Mottisfont Abbey, and it was a pleasant walk along the water.
Mottisfont Abbey
The autumn colours looked gorgeous this year, and I got to escape the house a couple of times in order to enjoy them. I visited Sheffield Park Garden and Winkworth Arboretum. Unfortunately, the sun did not shine during either of my visits to see autumn colour this year, but I thought that both Sheffield Park Garden and Winkworth Arboretum are great places to visit in the autumn. Maybe I will be luckier next year with the weather. All of the sunny days, and we did have a few, were during the weekdays when I was working.
Sheffield Park in the autumn
At the end of October, I visited east London to see new street art. At the end of my walk, I visited Spitalfields Market and Humble Crumble, which were selling their tasty crumble in a miniature pumpkin/gourd. As well as being delicious, the crumble was also cute and seasonal. I also spent a lot of time throughout the month of October helping organise a community fund-raiser and Halloween trail. Part of this fund-raiser ended up being due to a terrible tragedy involving a little girl that took place in the community toward the end of the month.
Humble Crumble pumpkin crumble
November: On the first day of the month, I met up with the friends that I saw at the end of October for Halloween afternoon tea at Waddesdon Manor. This was the first time that I have been to Waddesdon Manor for afternoon tea. The food was delicious, and the service was also very attentive; I could not fault it at all, and I loved the Halloween-themed desserts.
Waddesdon Halloween afternoon tea
Unfortunately, the country went into a lockdown again on the fifth of November, cancelling my plans for the month, which included Thanksgiving and a light trail at Stourhead. I prefer Thanksgiving to Christmas, so locking down for "people to have a normal Christmas" is controversial because many others do not (or will not, due to the virus) celebrate Christmas. Even if I did have my family near, I do not think it would be a good idea to meet up with them anyway, so locking down in November means others have to suffer at that expense. (I would have preferred that businesses stay open with social distancing and mask-wearing instead of the message to get numbers to fall for some less strict measures at Christmas, which is sure to end badly.)
On the day before this second lockdown, the country had sunny and fairly warm weather, so I took a half day off at short notice to explore Donnington Castle and Ludgershall Castle and just escape the house. I had previously visited Ludgershall Castle in the summer, so I was surprised to see how different it was in the autumn.
Donnington Castle
Bonfire Night (November 5) was the day that the lockdown took effect. Those who wanted to celebrate had to have lockdown bonfire night fireworks. I enjoy a good fireworks display, so I had to settle with a bottle of Prosecco in the loft while looking out the window to watch garden displays. I saw several fireworks from a distance but nothing remarkable. (Of course, Diwali happened a week later, so there were some fireworks for that too.) I love this time of the year with Halloween and fireworks. I know some people do not like it.
Lockdown fireworks for Guy Fawkes and Diwali
On that first weekend of the lockdown, I went to a local park known as Northala Fields. It is located in West London in Northolt, and on a clear day, visitors can see all the way to Canary Wharf. It was still a bit foggy when I visited, but the fog was clearing into a clear day. It's actually a really nice place with four constructed mounds that can be climbed, fishing ponds, a cafe, and a playground.
Northala Fields
Due to the lockdown, I did not get to celebrate Thanksgiving Day and weekend as I had planned, so I had a lockdown Thanksgiving. I had to cancel or reschedule my plans for those few days. I did find a hotel that prepare Thanksgiving Day meals that you could take home to cook from home. Unfortunately, that ended up being an extremely stressful experience and my main oven not working. (It's a long story, but I've been waiting for the electrician to fix my oven since the beginning of the first lockdown.) A few people on the street suggested a socially-distanced chat and drink on the street in front of the houses in honour of the lockdown Thanksgiving, and some mean person reported it as a rave. It was literally about eight of us socially-distanced into two groups in conversation for about an hour until the police came in a large van expecting a rave, but they left again because we were not doing anything wrong.
Lockdown Thanksgiving
December: On the 4th of December, the second lockdown ended. I took a trip into London on the Friday of that week to see the Christmas lights and decorations (Where to see London's Christmas Lights and Decorations in 2020). I enjoy seeing London's decorations every year. It was obviously a low-key affair this year. Some had not decorated at all, and others were late to decorate. In addition to London's decorations, I also spent some time walking around my local area to see the Christmas lights and map out trails. Unfortunately, due to the November lockdown, the first visit to London was particularly busy, which was a result of the November lockdown.
Christmas lights in London
Due to my booking for the Stourhead light trail being cancelled in November, I had to rebook it for the middle of December; I did not have many options of availability for the re-booking. Stourhead's light trail was definitely the highlight of December for me.
Stourhead light trail
Unfortunately, later in the same week that I went to Stourhead, new restrictions were placed on the area that I live in and then tightened a couple of days after that, so all other plans were cancelled. I did not have Christmas plans involving other people, but I did have other plans involving countryside walks and another light trail that were cancelled. The short-notice cancellation and changes for areas meant that those affected were placed in danger with mass exodus and supermarket chaos. If I have gotten the virus, it will be due to that lack of government response. I felt safer on the tube and in restaurants than I have on that visit to the supermarket.
My Christmas was a quiet one. Now, the virus is spreading again, so there are more restrictions. The government has been slow to react and has failed in the timely measures. The vaccines have been approved and started with the elderly and NHS staff, so these are being rolled out. I just hope that the government does not mess them up. After previous issues with the "track and trace", testing, and other communications, I do not have much faith in the government. However, I am trying to remain positive and hope that they do succeed this time.
Regent Street Thanks
I think that most people will be looking forward to this year ending with better hopes for 2021. I do not see changes happening right away, though, and I am thinking that the best case scenario to "normality" being by the end of next summer.
In short conslusion, I had put things in place for 2020 to be an amazing year to finally get the stability and travel and take better care of myself. Unfortunately, none of those could be achieved this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. I've been beating myself up a bit about the past few years, although there is nothing I can do about that now except to try to be patient and wait for the "normality" and threat to go away.
Due to 2020 being an all-around poop year, I will just have to wait for change in 2021. My new goals are to take better care of myself and not work myself to death, plan days to look forward to, and travel (once it is safe to do so). I will probably not travel abroad next year, even if it is safe. I do not have any hopes for immediate change, so I will just have to see what happens. Until then, I have to do what I have done the past few years and live one day at a time. I would love to get to the place again where I could plan things to look forward to, but it's not safe yet until the vaccine programme is rolled out further...and then we still do not know if we will need a vaccine each season (if our body's immunity wears off of the virus changes considerably). Anyway, all I can do is live one day at a time and think about what I want to do when it is safe again. Once these things are in place, I can defer my goals of travel and stability. Happy New Year! Here's to a much better one for us all!
Leave a comment